Thread: 1929 Essex Highboy

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Hi Perley. I see you got your thread up & going. There are some pictures here I hadn't seen before... Your grille shell is probably a '28 (Model-A). The '29's were chromed from the factory; '28's were painted. That's assuming it's a passenger car shell. It's my understanding that some '29 commercial shells were painted, too. Maybe some of the Model-A experts can clarifiy that.

There's nothing sweeter sounding than an inline six with split exhaust manifold and dual glasspack mufflers...

I've heard a torch called a "blue wrench", "smoke wrench", "hot wrench", and a "Mexican speed wrench", but "gas axe" beats 'em all. That's a good one...

Here's another pic of the mock up. And a shot of the dashboard. An interesting note here-----the '29 was unique among the Essex family as it had pine cone/tree branch motiff, as you might see (sort of) on the instrument panel. It is my understanding that this was the only year for that. Not widely accepted by the buying public I guess. The door and window handles had that also. Must have been nice!
OOOOOPPS, sorry, we actually do have 'watch cats' too. This one also a first class mouser (and birder). 3 of them total. Actually 4, but one is strictly an inside cat.
Found a bargain on a Chevy S-10, '91 vintage, from which we got a Borg Warner T-5 manual 5 speed tranny. Here it is along with a picture of the older S-10 rear. This one is from a 4 x 4 truck and these are 5 inches wider than the two wheel drive version. And just so you know up front that I do (more than) my share of wrong things, here is a shot of a Camaro bell housing I bought off ebay. I was told that any SBC bell housing would fit my Inline 6 and adapt to the T-5 tranny. Well---------not quite. The eighties versions had this "60 degree" tilt. UGH. Eventually I did find a proper one (90 degree).

Here is a shot of the '49 front axle after cutting off the 4 bolt hole mounting flanges. I shake a lot with the torch going! I'm real good at grinding though! haahaa And a shot of the input shaft of the T-5 transmission. This had to be cut off by 9/16 ths of an inch, also the bearing retainer the same amount, so it would fit the crankshaft hole and bushing in the Inline 6 engine. What a tussle I've had with that combo, I-6 and T-5. WOW. The bell housing thing, the need for cutting the input shaft and bearing retainer, and finding a flywheel, pressure plate and clutch plate, all to fit this combo! I've read everything I could find pertaining to the T-5's on the Internet. Just when I would say, AHA, another wrinkle would turn up. Finally got a 13 inch flywheel from a SBC off ebay, then a pressure plate (and I thought) a clutch plate from a fellow hot rodder friend, only to find that the clutch plate had a different number of 'gear' teeth on the hub than the tranny. In the end I had to get one 'special' from Fort Wayne Clutch and Driveline! Thanks folks. Great experience, that. And here is a shot of the mockup table with a relief hole for the 'pumpkin' so I could mock up the rear axle. And the rear axle in place under the 'floor'. The 4 x 4 rear end is perfect in width for this application. And driven from the six cylinder, it should last forever!
That's it for this segment. They are going to be rapid-fire because I've been working on it for over a year. Just now got up courage to try the build site thing, thanks to my Mentor! Thanks Friend. Perley

Onward and Upward-----
The 'Z', or kickup on the rear of the frame was predicated by the necessity of space for axle movement under the frame yet keeping the body from being 'step ladder' height! And yet giving some thought to some day having a rumble seat, after all, it IS a rumble seat coupe! I thought the 4" kick would be ok, but I wish (kinda) now that I had gone another 2". But it's not bad. Much lower and I would've had to put a skid plate underneath! This is Maine, don'tchaknow? Yeah, we got roads, but hardly more than wagon trails. heehee
Here is a shot of the Model 'A' grille shell and stock radiator. I was told that this was from a truck model, and my Mentor confirms this. In the end I couldn't use the radiator for the overall height was taller than the cowl. So on advice from my Mentor I got a '65/66 Mustang radiator (off ebay). Works perfect, thanks Friend. And a picture of a Model 'A' front spring I got. This turned out to be too wide for this application. I found that a house trailer (mobile home) spring was exactly the right width and the same as sold from some of the hot rod stores. For FREE too, from a long time friend.
And a shot of the Model 'A' front axle and bones that I ruined with the torch (gas axe). By the way, I didn't invent that phrase, I read it somewhere (on another forum). I take no credit for it, other than to propagate it's use! That's it for today folks. I'm tired and it's an hour past my bed time. This work business is for the young and hardy. heeehee

And here are a few pictures of the '91 Chevy S-10 transmission. As taken out, DIRTY. And after a half dozen or so cans of degreaser! Here is the mock up, minus the bell housing which I didn't have at that time. And showing the planned on height in relation to the floor. I want a flat floor which is one reason I didn't drop the body lower.

Here are a couple of shots of the square tube parts cut and nearly ready to assemble. One kink here is that we don't have any 220 volt power in the 'garage' so we will have to take everything down to the shop, about 300 feet from the garage, to do the welding. First two pics are of the Watch Dogs! And being a copy-cat, I had to drill the front axle!

OK folks. Enough dilly-dallying. Here is the frame assembly. Got all of the parts cut and assembled, piled onto my trailer along with horses, blocking, tools, etc., and moved it down to the shop where the 220 welder is. It's an arc welder SMAW, not MIG or TIG. I'm old fashioned, also not well enough off to buy those kind of hobby tools. I am retired/disabled and have limited income. Most things I have came in more prosperous times! Anyhoo---First picture is of the mobile home spring I got to replace the Model A spring which was too long for this application. Then a shot of the splice between the front of a Model A frame and the 4 x 2 square tube used for the remainder of the frame. I drilled several holes in one side of the front ends of the square tube, cut two sections of flat stock for splice plates, then inserted them into the ends of the square tube, clamped them against the previously drilled holes, and then plug welded through the holes. Then I reached inside the ends of the square tube as much as I could and welded along the edges of the splice plates. After having done both sides we fitted these into the open 'C' sections of the Model A front frame section, clamped tightly, then welded along the edges of the splice plate. Here is my Grandson Steve doing some of the welding. He is a High School Student and takes Diesel Technology from the local Trade School Tech Center, where he has had training and instructions in welding. And a shot of the welder we have, a Lincoln AC/DC 225. I learned to weld years ago on a straight AC 225 unit. Thanks for reading along, I hope I don't overwhelm you with pictures. I have hundreds, but won't post all of them!

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